Mother and son killed by train in Gunma

Thursday 12th February, 11:09 AM JST

GUNMA —

A mother and her son died after being hit by a train on the Ryomo line in Gunma Prefecture on Wednesday at around 2.35 p.m., at a crossing between Isesaki station and Komagata station.

Police said the pair were rushed to hospital but were pronounced dead shortly after. Their identities have not been confirmed yet. However, police said that a 9 year-old boy was found near a car parked near the crossing, believed to be that of his mother’s. The boy told police it was his 40-year-old mother and 7-year-old brother who entered the crossing.

The train driver told police that the pair ran under the train crossing gate and onto the tracks, and that he was unable to stop in time.

Kyodo News Service

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Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

sappquest at 01:13 PM JST - 12th February

'Disullusioned', the car was parked near the crossing, not necessarily at the crossing waiting to cross. If that had been the case, they would be in the car, not outside the car.
LFRAgain at 01:20 PM JST - 12th February

Sounds like suicide. Perhaps 9-year old didn't want to go along with it, which is why he stayed in the car. Sad beyond words for all involved, especially the 7-year old who didn't have a choice in the matter.
Disillusioned at 02:34 PM JST - 12th February

sappquest - 'Disullusioned', the car was parked near the crossing, not necessarily at the crossing waiting to cross. If that had been the case, they would be in the car, not outside the car.

What are you on about?
saborichan at 03:35 PM JST - 12th February

It does say they went under the boom gate thing. That's odd.
Kameleon at 03:42 PM JST - 12th February

So she basically, in a way, murdered her own son.
sappquest at 03:52 PM JST - 12th February

Disillusioned - What are you on about?

I haven't seen the scene of this accident but in some cases there are buildings/shops right next to the tracks near to the crossings. The article doesn't state if the car was waiting to cross or was parked in a parking lot. Either way, it's sad that it happened in the first place.
elbudamexicano at 04:09 PM JST - 12th February

It sounds like a extremely stupid INCIDENT more than any kind of an accident. I feel sorry for these young children, both the dead one and the older surviver, what the h!#$"$ was the mother thinking???????
likeitis at 04:11 PM JST - 12th February

but were pronounced dead shortly after.

Thank you Kyodo for not trying to tell us they "died at the hospital". Really. Thank you.

sappquest's suggestion seems the most likely. The boy ran out and the mother went to get him. The nine year old just wanted to stay in the car and not go where ever it was they were going.
whitepocky at 04:31 PM JST - 12th February

Without being gruesome, these sort of happenings should be brought to children's attention in school to warn them of the dangers of the world we live in. The boy may of ran out onto the tracks, but what in the lord possessed him to do so!!! The slightest bit of common sense should tell anybody, young or old, that trains/cars also win in a collision with us mortals.
sappquest at 04:42 PM JST - 12th February

The boy may of ran out onto the tracks, but what in the lord possessed him to do so!!! The slightest bit of common sense should tell anybody, young or old, that trains/cars also win in a collision with us mortals.

I know someone who many years ago used to run outside to look at planes whenever he heard a plane in the sky. He was that fascinated by planes...even though he was a teenager at the time. A 7-year old can easily get excited when a real train is passing nearby, especially if he has toy trains that he loves to play with.

Anyway, this is all speculation as I have not seen any report about this accident on TV or any other website. I'm just trying to say that it may or may not have been suicide.
williamsmith at 05:38 PM JST - 12th February

I wonder why she left the 9-year-old behind?
Disillusioned at 09:30 PM JST - 12th February

I wonder why she left the 9-year-old behind?

That was my first thought too. Suicide?
DerekJ at 01:55 AM JST - 13th February

Wish there were more details on this but it doesn't seem like a suicide to me. Parents who suicide and take their kids with them tend to take all the kids (or attempt to do so). In this case, one child was left behind in a parked car. There must be more to this. The suggestion that the 7-year-old ran out onto the tracks seems more plausible.
airrunwesker at 02:32 AM JST - 13th February

It would be a logical conclusion that she left the 9 year old behind to rescue the other child who ran onto the tracks.
VOR at 03:02 AM JST - 13th February

The two likely scenerios; she was careless or she was suicidal.

if she was suicidal she was in an irrational state of mind and why she took the seven year old and left the nine year old can not be explained. the nine year old may have sensed danger and was big enough not to be pulled onto the tracks.

if she was trying to get across the tracks ahead of the train, she recklessly gambled with her life and the life of her child for what? It makes no sense.

The first scenerio seems more plausible.